Sagar Biswas :The third phase election in the country’s 620 Union Parishads is going to be held on Saturday amid apprehension of widespread violence and massive electoral misconduct.The candidates were extremely busy yesterday in last hour campaign. The contenders, both for ‘Chairman’ and ‘Member’ posts, were running door-to-door of the voters to get their support as the electoral campaign was scheduled to be ended on Thursday midnight, just 32 hours before the voting begins. Reports are coming from different unions about violation of the electoral code by the supporters of ruling party-backed candidates, but the Election Commission [EC] did not take additional security arrangement despite fear of violence among the general voters.And strangely, the law enforcement agencies have taken traditional three-tier security arrangement just like earlier two phases election.The situation has reached at such an extent that a delegation of ruling Awami League led by Joint General Secretary Mahabubul Alam Hanif yesterday met the Chief Election Commissioner [CEC] Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed to convey the ‘message’ of the Prime Minister. Among others, Joint General Secretary Dr Dipu Moni, International Affairs Secretary Col [retd] Faruk Khan and Office Secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap were included in the delegation. “The PM has issued tough directives to EC….The PM categorically informed the EC that she doesn’t want to see any type of misconduct, violence or other anomalies in the polls. I’ve conveyed the message of PM to CEC. We have also told the EC to take stern action those who will be found involve in violence,” Mahabubul Alam Hanif said. The AL leader also said that his party would issue ‘warning’ to leaders and activists not to involve in the violence or other unlawful activities.Significantly, the EC has ‘welcomed’ the move of ruling party high-command saying that the commission would encourage such stance for the sake of free and fair election. “We have discussed the electoral issue with the Awami League delegation. The president of ruling party [PM] has assured us that she wants a free, fair and credible election…..We’ve welcomed the move. At the same time, we’ve also asked the Awami League delegation to harness their rowdy activists, as they cannot take part in any violence,” Election Commissioner Mohammad Shahnewaz said. In a dramatic move, the EC has ordered to withdraw Superintendent of Police in Gazipur district Harun-ar Rashid and Officers-in-Charge of Kapasia and Sreeepur police stations Mir Rakibul Haque and Md Asaduzzamn for their failure to control violence during the second phase of UP elections. The directives came following the death of a local Awami League leader and member candidate of Ward No. 9 at Prahladpur union under Sreepur upazila, who was chopped to death by the unidentified assailants on Wednesday. In a letter sent to Senior Secretary of the Home Ministry and Inspector General of Police, the EC also directed to appoint fresh officials in these posts. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP] has claimed that police have been conducting mass arrest to nab its activists targeting the third phase of UP election. BNP also alleged that the ruling party men have attacked houses and establishments of their candidates in different districts. “The ruling party men along with the members of law enforcement agencies are threatening our candidates, poling agents and supporters, as they do not go to the vote centres on the election day,” Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said yesterday.
